Fifty years have passed since the opening of its eighth high-mountain hut, and the Appalachian Mountain Club is proposing a ninth in Crawford Notch State Park to boost a shelter system that officials...

Bob Jones of Bedford, left, and Janice and Mike Baker of Manchester were among the people who attended last year's spring class preview for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Granite State College. The next preview is set for Wednesday, Feb. 20. (COURTESY)

NH Senior News Briefs

NH Senior Leadership program taking applications

MANCHESTER - The New Hampshire Senior Leadership program is accepting applications for its 2013 class.

A collaboration among AARP, the Center on Aging and Community Living at the University of New Hampshire and Dartmouth Centers for Health and Aging, the program is designed for older adults, caregivers, family members and friends who want to advocate for older adults in New Hampshire.

The application deadline is Monday, Feb. 25.

The goal is to have class members who represent diverse backgrounds, ages and geographic regions of the state. Twenty participants will be selected, program organizers say, based on their motivation to become well-informed and active in policy-making and systems change for aging New Hampshire residents.

"In its fourth year, this program is designed to be educational and provide advocacy and community leadership skills necessary to advance issues of importance to Granite Staters as they age," said Doug McNutt, AARP New Hampshire associate state director for advocacy. "Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, livable communities and long-term care are topics at the forefront. Our hope is for every graduate to leave the program with the information they need to engage these important issues of our times."

Participants will meet five times over an eight-month period and receive intensive training on a variety of educational and community topics through discussions, Web-based learning, small- and large-group sessions and independent research.

All expenses, including hotel, meals and materials, will be covered. The only cost to participate is a $45 contribution at the time of acceptance.

"Attending this program was a life-changing event for me," said Sherri Harden of Goffstown, a 2012 graduate. "Learning effective strategies to promote and support change is very powerful. The exercises and group projects were the icing on the cake. Oh, and did I mention we had fun?"

HOOKSETT - Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Granite State College, known as OLLI, will host its annual spring class preview and social get-together Wednesday, Feb. 20, at a new location, the Hooksett Library, 31 Mount Saint Mary's Way.

Sign-in will begin at 1:30 p.m., and the program is scheduled for 2 to 5 p.m. Registrations for spring classes, which begin March 25, won't be taken during the preview, but membership applications will be accepted.

Organizers say the change of location was necessary due to the incredible growth of OLLI in the Manchester area over the past two years.

The class previews will be true "previews" in that members and the public will get a sneak peek at the classes prior to registration. They also will get a chance to learn about the classes from the presenters, meet the staff, add their names to the mailing list and socialize with OLLI members while enjoying hors d'oeuvres and refreshments.

Also new this year, those attending the preview will receive the 2013 spring class catalog. Catalogs will be mailed to members not attending the preview a week later; catalogs to nonmembers and inactive members will be mailed the following week.

The national OLLI network began in 2000 with grants from the Bernard Osher Foundation to emphasize the importance of lifelong learning. The membership-driven OLLI program welcomes anyone older than 50. There are no prerequisites, grades or tests; the learning is just for the fun of it.

The first and only OLLI in New Hampshire began in 2004 at Granite State College. Now with 900-plus members, OLLI at Granite State College offers classes in Manchester, Concord, Conway and on the Seacoast.

For more information, call the OLLI office at 513-1377. For directions to the library, go to www.hooksettlibrary.org.

Retired Men's Association ?to meet next week

MANCHESTER - The New Hampshire Retired Men's Association will host

Richard Girard, a vice chairman of the Manchester Charter Commission, when it meets on Tuesday, Feb. 19.

Girard, who has many years of experience in Manchester government, is part of a commission that is reviewing the city's municipal charter, which sets the rules and delegates the powers that control city government. Girard also is regional vice president of a financial company, host of the radio show "Girard at Large" and is active in local politics. The motto of his radio show is "Connecting people, places and things with news from our area backyards."

The association meets monthly with a social hour and refreshments at 10:30 a.m., followed by the guest speaker from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Meetings are held at Catholic Medical Center's Community Health Services Conference Room on the lower level at 195 McGregor St., which is across the street from the hospital. Meetings are free and open to any men interested.

The association also offers two subgroups. A computer group meets the second Thursday of the month. For more about this group, email Jim Theodosopoulos at jimtheo@comcast.net. A cribbage card playing group meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. For cribbage information, contact Bob Campbell at 669-4944 or soupie28@comcast.net.

For information about the association, contact Tom Arnold at tomtarnold@att.net or 965-3573.

VNA & Hospice offers blood pressure clinics

The Central New Hampshire VNA & Hospice is hosting four blood pressure clinics this month.